Overview
Spartanburg is a vibrant, active city with abundant outdoor recreation in South Carolina. It is popular for its long and warm summers, numerous preserves and gardens within city limits, and a walkable downtown with local breweries and shops. In addition, its low cost of living and affordable homes make it popular for active adults on a budget.
Climate & Geography
Located in Northwestern South Carolina, Spartanburg has a humid subtropical climate. Summers are long, hot, and humid, while winters are mild to cool. Rainfall is higher than average and spread evenly throughout the year, and there is very little snow. Nearby mountains help protect the area from northern winds in the winter. Residents can expect 225 days of sunshine on average.
Spartanburg is in the foothills of the southern end of the Appalachian Mountains, which begin to rise just northwest of the area. Formally an agricultural region, Spartanburg has a mostly level terrain with some gentle rolling hills.
Recreation, Culture, & Entertainment
Retirees don’t have to travel far for outdoor recreation, as there are several natural spaces within city limits. Popular destinations include the Hatcher Garden and Woodland Preserve and the Edwin M. Griffin Nature Preserve, which both offer walking trails and wildlife viewing in the center of town. The Croft State Park has over 20 miles of biking, hiking, and horse riding trails as well.
Spartanburg also features an active, walkable downtown area. Residents can find boutique shopping, theater companies, southern restaurants, and craft breweries there. The downtown area also hosts community events like an ice skating rink on the square in winter, seasonal crafts fairs, and a farmers market.
Additional name-brand shopping is found at Westgate Mall. Outside of Spartanburg, active adults enjoy Greenville’s historic downtown, just over a half-hour away.
Cost of Living & Taxes
Spartanburg’s cost of living is well below the national average because housing costs are much lower. In addition, transportation costs are below average.
South Carolina does not tax Social Security, and all other forms of retirement income are largely deductible. The state’s property taxes are among the lowest in the country, and there is a homestead exemption available for retirees. Sales taxes, on the other hand, are slightly higher than average.
Health Care
The Greenville metro area ranks in the top 70 communities on Gallup’s Well-Being Index.
Spartanburg has several hospitals, including Spartanburg Hospital for Restorative Care and Mary Black Health System-Spartanburg. Spartanburg Medical Center is rated high performing by U.S. News. Additional nearby high performing hospitals are Prisma Health Greer Memorial Hospital in Greer and Prisma Health Patewood Hospital in Greenville.